The Kingbreaker
by Unhonor
Summary: He is an aristocrat; a sublime noble wrapped in enigma and dripped in charisma. His wealth is abundant and he shows no qualms in expressing his superiority - it's simply how a monarchy works. By fate his paths cross with an emotionless worker bound by chains of servitude, forever doomed to remain at the bottom of the food chain. They're an unlikely match, but still waters run deep.
1. Mismatched Eyes

A/N: I think that it'd be fair to let you know that this fic deals with issues of discrimination. I heavily focus on discrimination of social class, but racism, sexism and other types will occur as well. Just a heads up.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basket. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.

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Chapter 1 - Mismatched Eyes

Kuroko Tetsuya was a hard-worker — when he devoted himself to a task, he'd fall into a kind of trance where everything else in the world had faded to the background. But funnily enough, sometimes it were the smallest of things that stopped the young man on his tracks.

It had happened so quickly that for a second Kuroko wasn't sure if he had even felt it; the rain drop gently fell atop his head, shattering onto the pale hair straps adorning his inexpressive, flaxen facial features.

At first his lean body had frozen under the touch, his feet placing onto the dry mud beneath them - but as realisation struck him, his heart jolted blissfully inside his chest.

They had _rain_, after a long, dry summer.

"Kurokocchi...? Why are you standing there?"

A familiar voice wailed from inside a wooden barn that had its front doors pushed wide open, revealing the sight of a neat row of stables and some straw bales stored opposite to them. One of the stable doors swung open and a tall man stepped outside the stall, droplets of sweat glistening on his forehead and glueing his disheveled blond fringe onto his skin. The moment his golden eyes flicked at Kuroko who simply stood unmoving under the grey skies, he mustered a sour look upon his face, pouting like a disappointed child that had been denied something they wanted.

"Hey, get a move on..." He grumbled as he picked up a bucket forgotten on the floor, and strolled off to the blue-haired male. "Seriously Kurokocchi, you—"

But his complaints were cut short as his mouth dropped agape, incredulous irises gazing up at the heavy clouds gathering over the entire countryside. Everywhere around them the land was dry and wilted, so there was something sacredly ecstatic about the cascade of rain that now began to shower upon them.

At first, the blonde and the pastel-haired male merely stood beside each other in silence, until the downpour had utterly soaked them; dyeing their disarrayed hair a shade darker than normal and sticking their earth-stained clothes to their skin. It didn't bother them by the least — Kuroko had missed the feeling of raindrops thrumming against his skin.

"It's been so long since it last rained!" The blond burst into laugh, the mirth in his voice undeniably purer than it had been for a long while. "It's refreshing!"

A soft smile graced at Kuroko's lips. It felt like a heavy rock would've been rolled off atop of his heart; for a servant working on one of the estates of countryside, a rainless season was often packed full of stress and extra work. Every night he had prayed for the weather to get humid again, but for a long while it had looked like the Gods weren't interested in fulfilling his wishes. Oh well, Kuroko was used to being treated as a lesser being by humans themselves too.

Still, rain was essential. Without it crops wouldn't flourish, horses couldn't graze upon fresh grass, and wells would eventually dry off — _that_, Kuroko thought, was the worst of them all. When there wasn't enough water within the estate, it meant that the servants and landlord would have to make a trip outside the walls.

"Yes, Kise-kun, rain always brings great things with it. Our landlord will be delighted by this generous gift from nature."

A pair of golden orbs stared at him intently as he spoke, but Kuroko got no verbal response other than a half-hearted, humourless laugh that escaped Kise's lips. It immediately triggered an alarm in Kuroko's mind; it had sounded a bit too forced for such a carefree persona as him. The bluenette had known Kise for years, as they were both born into the social class known as 'the workers' and had travelled together for long searching for a job. Kuroko, if anyone, could tell if Kise was bothered by something.

"Is something wrong?"

Kise shook his head dismissively, trying to wave it off carelessly into the wind, but Kuroko's gaze seemed only to intensify in wary. Kise's futile attempts were all-too obvious to the observant male.

"Gosh, it's nothing serious." He pouted, running a wet hand through his blond locks in frustration, sweeping them into disarray as he did so. "We should fetch the horses back inside anyway, so lets go."

"We can talk as we walk to the grazing area." Kuroko promised as he gently tugged at his friends sleeve suggesting they'd return inside the horse stables, to which Kise only let a defeated sigh at before following the pastel-haired male.

They entered the barn, both completely soaked in rain. This building was the home of the two workers; it was large enough to hold eight stalls and some room for equipment, but the exterior of the barn looked poor and weather-worn. Despite its obvious need for renovation, Kuroko thought that it was the most relaxing building in the estate. Their landlord was very harsh on his workers and didn't allow them to sleep in the main building that served as the home of the host family… But Kuroko didn't mind — he was used to the smell of hay, and besides, he worked well with horses.

The small attic they lived in was more than welcoming to him.

Kise sauntered after his blue-headed coworker, a slightly resentful look flashing in the golden-tinted irises of his — but the other male had turned his back to the blond, happily unaware of the glimmer Kise had held in his eyes for a moment. Kuroko lingered by a pile of halters, taking his time to untangle them.

"So, what was bothering you, Kise-kun?" Kuroko questioned, the usual monotone in his voice enhancing a curious note to it.

The blond folded his arms above his muscular chest, not truly angered, but a bit irritated by how oblivious could the rather unemotional bluenette be. As the said bluenette turned around and met the suddenly hardened gaze of his friend, an uncomfortable feeling churned at the bottom of his stomach… Something was not quite right.

"Doesn't it bother you?" A blond eyebrow curved into a doubting arc. "We're treated like trash around here, and yet you talk about it like it's... natural for us to be stomped over and tossed around as if we weren't human at all. The way you worded that sentence outside, how you said that our landlord would be delighted... It's not like the draught caused him any extra work, it was us who had to suffer."

Kuroko was dumbstruck, he had frozen on the spot. His lips slowly parted to say something, _anything_, but he couldn't immediately find evidence from Kise's words to use as a counterattack. Kise simply stood there waiting, dripping water on the floor from the straps of hair slipped on his forehead.

Yes… He understood Kise's point. The world was cruel and biased, favouring those with power and property — it was nothing new to Kuroko. He had always known that in the monarchy they lived in, social statuses were set in stone and determined by your family background… If you were not born into a royal- or noble family, there was no method of possibly succeeding to gain a better life. Well, of course it could have been ordered by a king, but that was out of his control.

Kuroko had always been heedful not to develop a grudge because there was no real scapegoat, no one to point an accusing finger at. He however had a sneaking suspicion that Kise may have nurtured a resentment towards their host family; he recalled blond once saying that their landlord was 'undeserving of his status in the middle class'.

Certainly, the middle class was far better off than the worker class. Even though their landlord wasn't a noble nor a royalty, he had avoided the fate that common workers like Kuroko and Kise had to face. For centuries certain families had owned estates scattered all around the vast countryside, their ownership over the farms being passed from generation to generation. It was a phenomenal sight to see anyone born into _these _farms to travel around the country — the only socially accepted people to travel were merchants and export transporters whom journeyed from estate to estate to serve the landlords.

Whomever was born on this land, they were bound to stay on it forever.

As a result, everyone stood loyal to their homes, which resulted in a host family consisting of young and old; men and women; children, parents and grandparents. Since the estates were very independent and had all their resources raised, built, and grown inside the walls, there was rarely any reason for anyone to leave their land.

Usually, those who were often seen trekking large distances out in the cold were the lowest class, the ordinary travellers — people who either ended up as thieves or bandits, or chose a life of servitude.

That was the social class Kuroko and Kise had been born into. They had fought alongside against cold and starvation all their lives, trying everything to gain a better life… But no matter how much of a fight they had put up, all the paths they chose led to the same dead end — they had to serve a landlord, or die out in the cold. It was a life of no personal freedom, but at least, Kuroko thought, their workplace provided some form of shelter and allowed them to eat a full meal twice a day.

"It did cause our landlord some inconveniences, Kise-kun. His farmland suffered from the dry weather." He attempted to defend his employer, feeling as if it was required of him. He wasn't fully satisfied with the treatment he received here, but this workplace had extended his lifespan by a few extra years, and he was grateful for that.

"Ah, yes, his money and property." Kise's voice was laced with bitterness. "I forgot that was all he has ever cared about."

They fell into an electric silence, tension hanging heavily in the air between them; although the conflict was minor, it had rattled Kuroko's confidence and left him helplessly staring at his friend. He wasn't used to this side of Kise, it was unusual of him to complain and actually _mean_ to be hateful… Kise did often whine, but it was always playful — never truly fervent.

Within seconds it looked like Kise had realised that he had unnerved Kuroko, and the look in his eyes turned apologetic.

"No, I didn't mean to… I- I'm sorry, Kurokocchi." He smiled sheepishly. "I guess I'm still not mature enough to stop and think before leaping into an argument."

Even though the pastel-haired male masked under an expression devoid of emotions, behind that pale complexion he felt relieved. "You're right, you need a few more years to mature up."

"So mean!"

The look in those startling blue eyes softened and a smile managed to fight its way onto his lips — looked like Kise hadn't changed after all.

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Kise practically fell backwards into a welcoming stack of hay, sinking into the dry straws with an exaggerated sigh. Kuroko, whose blue-haired head peered out the the entrance of the attic trapdoor, ascended himself up while carrying a lantern to lighten the dark, low-roofed attic they called their home.

The two had just dumped the last rations of hay into the stalls of the horses downstairs, and now the sound of their satisfied chewing accompanied the distant roaring of thunder.

Kuroko looked exhausted as he rose up the last few steps; the rhythmic pounding of rain against the thin rooftop was lulling him asleep. But Kise was a tireless chatterbox, and had never understood the occasional silences introverts like Kuroko treasured.

"Don't you think that the Kagami guy is pretty odd?" Kise didn't appear tired at all as he flicked his gaze up at Kuroko under his lashes, folding his arms behind his head as he talked.

"Kagami-san?" The other male mused over his name, bringing a vivid image of the newcomer at the farm into his mind; he'd just started work yesterday and had already pleased their landlord more that Kuroko and Kise did in a week.

As the muscled redhead had enormous strength and great stamina, it was no surprise that in comparison, Kuroko was a little concerned. He himself was merely a slim teenager whom nobody ever seemed to notice — the landlord was probably eager to kick him out.

But however, despite the fact that Kagami had clearly demonstrated better potential than his coworkers, the landlord had ordered him to make himself comfortable in the changing room of the sauna. It wasn't very luxurious since people showered and women gave birth there, but the landlord had a policy of making workers earn their few sources of comfort. Kise had snickered snidely when the news was announced to Kagami as the new co-workers had been introduced to each other, and it had been quite obvious that Kagami had wanted to punch the blond in the face.

"Yeah, him." Kise nodded nonchalantly as he slipped his eyes closed. "I find him a bit odd, he stared at me sternly when we first met."

There was the sound of shuffling hay as Kuroko laid down upon his own pile. "That's no wonder, Kise-kun, the first thing you said to him was a comment about his eyebrows."

"Hey!" Suddenly a pair of golden eyes shot open, Kise propping himself up with his elbows to cast a faked look of offence at Kuroko. "It's not like it's all my fault that he doesn't like me…" He wailed. "Besides, his eyebrows really did catch my attention, they divide into two!"

"Kise-kun, please lower your voice—"

Kuroko's words were unnecessary because the sound of the barn door being pulled open, scraping the rocky ground underneath, managed to silence them both. Even in the dim light of the lantern the frozen teenagers could easily distinguish each others expressions; they immediately exchanged doubtful looks, and fell deeper into silence.

For Kuroko's horror, Kise's expression soon faded as an amused smile tugged at the other end of his lips, the blond probably thinking if Kagami had overhead them and was headed here to deliver the punch he hadn't had the chance to give earlier. Kuroko furrowed his brows in warning, rising a finger to his lips in an universal 'shh' -sign, which Kise thankfully took seriously.

The footsteps that led to the attic staircase were heavy and dragging, and all-too familiar to the two cowering upstairs.

"Hopefully you aren't already asleep up there!" Their landlord called, slamming his fist unexpectedly onto the staircase; the loud bang that emitted had the horses immediately panicked. The sound of shuffling hoofs and disgruntled neighs made Kuroko bite his tongue in concealed irritation… But those horses belonged to their landlord, there was nothing he could do about it.

"Get up this instant and meet me by the main building. We've got important guests who'll stay for the night; come take their horses and put them in empty stalls."

Seeming to be satisfied with the sound of his workers staggering up from hay and brushing off the dust from their clothes, the landlord turned on his heels and strolled out of the barn.

"Why don't you do something for once, you lazy bastard…" Kise muttered under his breath, low enough for Kuroko not to hear.

But not that the bluenette would have minded — neither of them was very fond of their landlord. The atmosphere was never positive around him; he had a petulant attitude and a talent for lowering everybody's self-esteems, but it was a challenge both Kise and Kuroko had learnt to put up with. It had resulted in a higher tolerance for negativity, and in better self-control and self-discipline.

Especially for Kise, who had a natural talent for letting words slip off his tongue so smoothly that he hardly even realised himself what had he said out loud, the improvement in being in control of his blabbermouth was astounding.

As the blond fixed the helm of his shirt, he spoke up again. "This is odd. I can't even remember the last time we had guests..."

"Maybe it's a teacher for the children of our host family, who just happened to arrive late."

It was a possibility, even though Kuroko hardly even believed it himself. Indeed it was an unfamiliar sight for anyone important, as their landlord had addressed the guest, to travel through the countryside, and yet to spend the night over in an ordinary farm that didn't stand out from a multitude of others in any way... There were inns specifically built for travellers that could afford them, so it would've been realistic for the guest to stay over in one of those.

"Maybe." Kise's voice had a nonchalant timbre to it as he started to climb down the stairs. Kuroko's eyes glowed with awareness of how little either of them was convinced, but without a word he rose up from the hay and followed.

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The storm rampaging outside had escalated to a point where the wind was strong enough to noticeably slow down the two figures sloshing through the mud. If their trousers hadn't been tucked inside their boots they would've surely gotten the ends of them dipped in sticky mud, but they were far too experienced and used to the working conditions to miss out a crucial detail like that.

The teeming downpour of rain showered on them almost painfully as they stalked through the cascade, navigating their way to the main building of the farm. A hand was raised above Kise's eyes to shelter them from the drops beating their bodies; his eyes squinted into narrow slits as he attempted to distinguish something in distance through the rain-blurred view.

"Oi, Kurokocchi, are those the guests?" He acclaimed in surprise and immediately rushed closer, forcing Kuroko to take extra large leaps to keep up with pace of the taller male.

The road they followed slowly came to an end, broadening as it finally blended in together with the open area coated with cobblestones: this was the small clearing in front of the main family's home. Before them loomed an ordinary, ageing wooden house, but to the hired workers it looked majestic — it was beyond their worth to even lay a step inside a house of such luxury.

Kuroko paused at the opening, eyes scanning the area to catch sight of their landlord… and soon he saw him, walking down main road with a small group of people on horseback.

The landlord led the way, and behind him followed a slender white arabian horse, ridden by a man dressed in a cloak. Even through the rain Kuroko could see that the clock was decorated with golden patterns sowed to the helms of it — it was a sure sign of wealth.

Behind the first man trailed two others, more sturdy and taller men whose trained bodies were armoured with metallic protections on vital areas. It wasn't the sort of heavy armour knights fighting for the army would wrap themselves in, but without a doubt these two men were guards on horseback to accompany their employer on his journey.

"Please allow me to assist you."

Disgust lingered in Kuroko's throat as he heard the overly helpful, eager words voiced by his landlord. Such friendliness and hospitality made his voice sounds foreign and misfitting, and because Kuroko associated that voice with mostly malice, this current tone felt very alarming to him.

As the landlord grasped the reins of the beautiful arab, it carefully flicked its audits towards him. However, it was only a small movement, and otherwise the well-mannered animal maintained its proud stance. Kuroko would have spent more time admiring the horse, but the man atop it had caught his attention… The cloaked man swung himself down from the saddle with efficient, smooth movements, and as his feet landed softly on the muddy ground, the hood of his cloak slipped off his head — revealing from beneath fiery red locks.

The next two thumps on the ground came from the guards dismounting their horses. All of the travellers were wet from the teeming rain, but the redheaded nobleman standing closest to Kuroko didn't look much bothered by it — in fact, his expression told almost nothing to the worker eyeing at him. His hair had darkened in the rain, contrasting starkly with his pale skin.

The landlord spoke up, his lips twisted into a wheedling smile. "I will escort you to the main building, and my workers shall take your horses to our stables nearby." He didn't need to urge them twice; Kuroko and Kise automatically responded by obediently stepping forwards to take the reins of the horses.

As Kuroko wrapped his fingers around the rain-slickened reins of the arab, he noticed how reluctantly the redhead, who owned the horse, let go of them; there was the sort of stiffness to his move that made Kuroko immediately glance at him.

And whatever he had expected, it certainly wasn't this. He was taken by surprise as his icy orbs met the gaze of mismatched heterochromatic eyes, an unique combination of one golden and one red, both pupils trained on the lowly worker who held his precious horse.

Kuroko's stomach immediately sunk in trepidation. The nobleman radiated an intimidating aura of authority, one that overwhelmed and overtook — it made Kuroko's already unnoticeable presence shrink even deeper into nonexistence. He politely bent his back into a respectful bow, which was a traditional way of greeting a superior, and although Kuroko might have been imagining it, the nod that followed seemed approving.

"Treat her well and with care." The redhead instructed with an unshaken tone, before his gaze veered to the awaiting landlord who was motioning towards the main building, welcoming them inside.

Kise had taken both of the guards' brown-coated horses and started to walk them towards the stables, but Kuroko dwelled on the spot for a tentative moment watching as the redheaded nobleman and his guards sauntered over the cobblestone path inside the warm building. He was unsure of what he'd seen: had the nobleman given him a slight nonchalant glance over his shoulder a little before he'd stepped inside the house?

The door swung shut behind them, and Kuroko was left alone in the opening.

Reluctantly, he turned around and began to lead the mare along the road to the stables, getting himself splashed upon by hard hoofs clopping onto puddles. The entire inside of his mind was a sheer mess of questions: _why were these important guests here? _Kuroko could easily tell that they were from the city — everything about them, _their clothing, their slight accents, their way of handling their horses_, it all spoke for the fact. If they were just passing through the countryside, it wouldn't be shocking if the massive thunderstorm had forced them to end their journey a little earlier than expected.

"Kurokocchi?" He heard a voice holler as he opened the stables door, walking the white arabian horse inside to shelter.

"Yes, it's me." He called back, releasing the horse into a free stall, which it entered with upraised audits and dilated nostrils, clearly interested in the stack of hay awaiting for it.

Kuroko was spellbound by the rare species that he had gotten the honour of grooming; arabian horses were known to be a delicate, cherished breed belonging to those who possessed the money to own one. Under its pearly coat he could see how powerful, well-developed muscles tensed and worked as the animal practically danced into the stall, every movement capturing the fine beauty it held.

He pressed his palm onto its sweaty and heated neck, realising how much it must've been ridden before finally being granted a break. Kuroko couldn't help but to feel sorry for it; he understood it's pain, in a weird sense.

The following minutes were spent in silence; taking off the reins and the saddle, brushing off dirt and dust attached to its slender figure, scraping off dried mud drained onto its slim legs. Those minutes were strangely pleasant and treasured — drops of sweat squirmed their way from beneath Kuroko's pastel hairline, but he took immense enjoyment in the work. Once the now-groomed arab looked impeccable, Kuroko stepped out of the stall and locked the door behind him.

He collaborated with Kise to groom the guards' horses as well, listening with half-hearted interest as the talkative blond chattered and rambled on about things that more or less didn't matter. They gave some extra hay to the landlord's horses as well, since they were kicking at their stall doors with impatience and jealousy, but once munching on hay was all that was audible, Kise announced that they could go to sleep.

Indeed, they had stayed up much longer than they usually did on a regular night, so the moment they collapsed each upon their beds of hay, sleep was quick to collect their consciousness.

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Kuroko awoke much too early, considering how late he had gone to sleep, but after his fruitless attempt to fall back asleep had failed, the bluenette defeatedly clambered out of bed.

The storm was long since over, leaving the earth smelling of mist and fresh soil; for a moment Kuroko simply stood there in the dim morning-darkness, listening as the birds chirped outside and as his friend snored, dreaming away. There in all that calmness, Kuroko found that he actually didn't mind a life like this — he had a roof over his head, a friend by his side, and a beautiful, _beautiful_ world around him.

Smiling to himself, Kuroko brushed the hay from his clothes and made his way down to the horse stables, simultaneously trying to smoothen his sleep-tousled hair. Every morning he had a chronic case of bed hair, but it was nothing some combing wouldn't fix.

He was welcomed with soft chortles and hungry, wishful eyes the moment his footsteps were heard. Even the white arabian horse was peering at him from her stall, her ears up high and facing him.

Kuroko let out a small laugh as he extended his arm to greet the nearest horse. "I missed you too."

Then, he started to distribute equal amounts of hay to the rather impatient animals, which kept him well busy for the next few minutes.

As the bluenette was bustling with a wheelbarrow full of hay, he hadn't heard as light, sedate footsteps approached the stables. He became aware of another person's presence only after the barn door was pulled open, making the horses chortle again as a greeting.

Having just stepped out of the white arabian mare's stall, Kuroko's gaze flickered at the direction of the doors, catching sight of a redheaded nobleman he had wished he wouldn't have to encounter again. Their gazes locked for a brief moment; the redhead's heterochromatic irises had a pungent tint to them, but Kuroko's blue eyes stayed as hollow and vacant as they had always been.

Kuroko was the first one to break free from the taut eye contact, lowering his eyes and bowing slightly to show his respect and inferiority. It didn't have much of an effect, but it earned him a slightly less intense stare and a barely-there twist of lips… Was it a smile?

Unsure of what he had seen, he tried to focus his gaze upon the nobleman, but the expression seemed to fade away that instant, leaving Kuroko answerless. _It's nothing, _he convinced himself, averting further eye contact as he closed the arabian's stall door, locking it tightly.

"It is early, Sir. May I help you?" It felt like the most appropriate thing to say as he glanced at the other male, pondering what would've been his intention to get up at this time and come to the stables.

"I came to see how was she doing." The redhead's placid tone was self-possessed and confident, concealing expertly every thought and emotion that could've lingered on his mind. Somehow it made Kuroko's stomach churn, making him feel perturbed and uncomfortable, but he forced himself to appear as unaffected as possible.

The arabian mare gave a soft, affectionate neigh at the nobleman, as if it would've known what the two were talking about. Kuroko replied with a lack of tone to his voice.

"She's been doing alright. She's very well-behaved and has a good nature."

"Of course." The redhead uttered as if it was obvious and stepped closer to his mare's stall, to which the arab responded by extending her long muscled neck and dilating her nostrils, picking up the scent of her owner. "She's been bred from the best of her kind, raised and trained accordingly."

Kuroko couldn't help but to smile. Sure, he found the nobleman's confident, authoritarian energy was extremely reserving, but the way he treated his horse… Upon seeing it, the aristocrat automatically became a thousand times more likeable in Kuroko's eyes. He might have been one of those proud rich men from the city, practically drowning in his splendour and abundant wealth, but he wasn't cruel to animals.

It was a quality Kuroko had always respected in other people. There wasn't enough love left in this world that it could've been graciously sprinkled around like fairy dust, especially not enough for animals.

"I see. She's a beautiful creature." It felt like it would've been impolite to merely nod to a aristocrat like him, so he quickly replied with the first words that popped into his mind.

The redhead hummed vaguely in response, stroking his mare's groomed pearly coat and running her white mane through his fingers, seeming as if he'd ignored Kuroko's words.

Maybe it had been the end of the conversation anyway.

Kuroko returned back to his mundane morning tasks: feeding the horses, making sure they had clean water, cleaning their stalls, brushing their coats, and scooping out dirt, mud and pebbles off their hoofs. The redheaded nobleman lingered by the white arab's stall, his unclear mumbling carrying into Kuroko's ears as the worker continued with his routine; smiling a bit to himself as he listened to the aristocrat murmur unimportant things to his horse.

Before Kuroko was done with his workload, he was interrupted by the sound of the stable doors being pulled open again: this time one of the red-haired nobleman's guards stepping into the barn, his footsteps heavy as he strolled in.

"Akashi-san, our hosts have prepared you breakfast to enjoy before we will carry on with our journey."

The usual absent expression ironed onto Kuroko's facial features faltered a little, curiosity peeking in his eyes as he briefly glanced towards the other men in the hallway, pretending to be busy with grooming a horse as he did so. Within those fleeting seconds he'd spent peering at them, he'd caught a glimpse of a glazed look plastered upon the redhead's face — it was the same expression he'd worn the entire time Kuroko had seen him yesterday in the storm.

So... His name was Akashi? It felt comforting to at least know the stranger by name.

Before he left, Akashi tilted his head a bit into Kuroko's direction, his voice disinterested and indifferent as he spoke out. "Prepare our horses."

It was a direct command, which gave Kuroko no other option than to merely nod in understanding, lips sealed shut as he watched the two men leave the building.

Something heavy landed atop of his heart, something that wasn't supposed to be there; its newly acquired weight anchoring his heart deeper down, almost smothering him with the sensation. Kuroko let out an airy breath, gasping — why did the acknowledgement of the redheaded nobleman's departure affect him?

Was there was something eccentric about Akashi, an unraveled enigma, that attracted the pastel-haired male like a magnet? No matter how his rational mind insisted _no_, his traitorous heart sang _yes_.

_It was weird how hearts were such wild creatures_. A soft, glad smile rose upon Kuroko's lips — it was a good thing he had learned to tame his own.

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A/N: Reviews are very appreciated! Also, since this is a whole new AU, if you have any questions feel free to present them.


	2. An Offering

A/N: Whoah, it sure has been a while… However, I've decided that no matter what, I need to complete this story. Your support has been a major motivation, so thank you so incredibly much for all your reviews!

The third chapter is already on its way.

Also, I've re-written the first chapter. I recommend re-reading it! However, it was mostly just adding details and taking unnecessary ones out — no major events were edited. The only big difference I made was to the colour of Akashi's horse. It's now white.

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Chapter 2 - An Offering

Once Akashi was gone, draining the air of menace as he went, Kuroko was yanked back to the ongoing cycle of feverish thoughts and emotions… He couldn't bring himself to understand why did he _care_ so much — he had left many people behind during his life, his own parents for god's sake…

There was so much to ponder upon, yet the percentage of what Kuroko understood of it was minuscule. His feelings had always been pushed aside and ignored, even by Kuroko himself, so he hadn't quite grasped the slippery concept of psychology, or even of emotions on a basic level. In the terms of understanding oneself, the pastel-haired male was clueless. He wandered in his own mind like a child lost in a carnival; defenceless and vulnerable.

What he did know though, was that there was something deeply wrong with the sensation that clawed at his chest.

He shook his head dismissively and pressed his palm onto the nearest wall, as if wishing that making contact with something physical would anchor him back to reality. It seemed to help, because soon his eyes gained a glint of awareness, and the bluenette reluctantly returned to work.

Soon seconds stared to prolong into tedious minutes that the sweating bluenette spent in absolute concentration preparing the three horses for their deport. It was quite pleasurable in fact, since the task tricked his mind to remain blank and colourless — which served as a nice distraction from his racing thoughts. Kuroko was caught in the middle of the process of tightening the girth of a saddle when the barn doors were pulled open again, for the third time for the day.

He briefly flickered his orbs at the young child who stood in the doorway holding a puppy, and since he was unalarmed by her presence, he then proceeded onto finishing his job.

"Momoi-chan, do your parents know that you're here?" He questioned with a static matter-of-fact tone, despite the softened look glimmering in his eyes. His rather dismissive greeting earned him a pout on Momoi's behalf, whose pink-tinted eyes flashed in petulance as she pranced closer to the stall Kuroko was in, clearly determined to engage in a chat with him.

"You're unfair! I just wanted to talk to you for a bit." She exclaimed, and suddenly her voice turned bitter. "…Since I almost never get to."

Kuroko gave the horse once last pat on its neck before he joined Momoi on the hallway, averting eyes with her while he locked the stall door. The usually bubbly pinkette was the landlord's youngest child and his only daughter; she wasn't permitted to talk to the workers of the estate. Momoi however seemed to view that rule as elastic and entirely acceptable to stretch a bit, but Kuroko wouldn't allow himself to be kicked out of the estate over a harmless disobedience as this, no matter how much he enjoyed her company.

"You know that your father doesn't want you to talk to me."

"But how does it matter?" She mused over the words in disappointment, hugging the puppy cradled in her arms. "It's not like he will find out… It's alright if we talk."

A speck of pity swarmed into his usually so empty-looking eyes: Kuroko's heart ached in the acrid wish that human beings would all be equal in worth, free to talk with anyone they pleased. It was part of the reason why he nurtured a gradually growing seed of desperation in his heart… Would humanity ever manage to abscond through the limitations of hierarchy, or would they succumb in its clutch?

"It's your fathers will. If he doesn't want you to talk to someone of such a low social class, then you should respect his wish." To express that he was secretly unwilling to submit to his landlord's orders, Kuroko ruffled the child's pink hair in a friendly manner, to which Momoi only giggled at.

"Aw, but Tetsu-kun! If Akashi-san talks with you, then I can too!" Her eyes twinkled in slight mischief, certainly aware that that this comeback might have snatched the victory to herself. Kuroko froze on the spot as she let the words slip off her lips; had Momoi overhead their terse conversation? Masquerading as completely untroubled by her reply, the bluenette gave a shrug as he picked up the bucket containing grooming equipment.

"That's different. Akashi-san is in a high position where he can freely choose who he wants to talk to. But Momoi-chan, you're still only nine years old and you have to listen to your father." Akashi's name didn't roll out quite as smoothly as he intended, but Momoi was fully focused in casting a pleading look on him that she didn't seem to pick up upon it. He stuttered a bit due to how high up in the hierarchy the redheaded nobleman was pegged at — Kuroko felt as if his lips were unworthy of forming the six letters building his name; he felt like he was staining it.

"Tetsu-kun... If he's so important and wealthy, why is he so sad?" A new kind of melancholy laced her voice; this time it was sympathy.

Kuroko blinked. "Why do you think that he's sad?"

Momoi shuffled her feet in discomfort, failing to hide her guilt. "Well... The d-door to his room creaked open a bit... I mean, I didn't spy on him but—", she stuttered whilst trying to keep her voice steady. "I just happened to see him sit on his bed. He was just staring down and he looked bothered by something."

It took a few seconds for Kuroko to process the information; even if Akashi was distressed by something, it wasn't exactly his business to find out. It wasn't Momoi's job to worry about it either, so the bluenette let out a small laugh at her cute expression of fright, waving the topic off.

"It's probably his work and duties, you can relax about it. But now, I care for you very much and I don't want you to get in trouble for talking to me."

Two bright pink irises lit up in the moment Kuroko claimed to care for her. "I care about you too, Tetsu-kun." She grinned. "But okay, I don't want to get you in trouble either... I'll go take Nigou for a walk. Promise that we'll talk later again!"

"Alright, alright."

All Kuroko could do was to watch in mild amusement as Momoi skipped outside, waving affectionately at him from the doorway before disappearing from his sight. He was quite certain that the bubbly pinkette would not give up upon talking to him, but it was easy to cope with as long as his landlord wouldn't find out.

And just then he took notice of the faint sound of snoring that carried into his ears — maybe it was finally time to wake up the blond and request for his help in taking the guests' horses outside.

xxx

xxx

Now that there was rain no haze his vision, Kuroko could easily tell who were the people waiting by the small clearing in front of the main building. His gaze was quickly fixed upon a speck of fiery red contrasting vividly against the vague combinations of cool colours on the background.

In fact, now that Kuroko's thoughts had wandered far enough to ponder about it, Akashi's attention-catching appearance probably contributed to his intimidating aura. Universally red signified danger: it was no coincidence that a ladybugs crust was tinged in crimson, since it was a nature's own defence mechanism.

It felt ironic to compare the nobleman's hair colour to a defence mechanism. Akashi didn't seem like a person to lean more on the defensive side; in a situation of danger the redhead would surely morph into a belligerent striker, an enemy eliminator. Maybe it was a defence mechanism in reverse, not protecting the one wrapped in it, but instead alarming everyone else to tense their muscles and to activate their flight or fight -instincts.

Everything about Akashi screamed that he was a man to be wary of.

Kise's footsteps dragged as the blond walked the brown-coated horses a few steps behind Kuroko, his eyes struggling to keep open. Kuroko had given him a mere five minute warning in advance to get ready — and that was quite evident from his disheveled hair and drooping eyelids.

Regardless of the fact that he was the one awake here, Kuroko felt like everybody's eyes were on him. Pretending that all the others weren't even there, the bluenette concentrated on Akashi — he directed the white arabian horse over the cobblestones, veering it efficiently in front of him so that the horse could be mounted from the left side.

Akashi was again dressed in a expensive cloak and in an emotionless expression. He effortlessly hooked his fingers upon the saddle and used the stirrup to vault himself up; the mare underneath grinder her metallic bits as she a bit impatiently waited for the signal to start walking. Kuroko let his grip of the reins loose as Akashi started to gather them in his hands, tightening them to an appropriate length.

"Thank you for your hospitality." The redhead said with no real grateful tone to his voice, not lifting his eyes up from the reins he was fiddling with.

Even though the landlord's expression consisted of the best false smile he could muster, Kuroko had the slightest inkling that Akashi would not be fooled by it. A polite "you're welcome" was said, and Akashi casted a long look upon the landlord, not saying anything.

The landlord didn't seem pleased with the atmosphere as he turned to Kuroko and announced his orders. "Escort our guests to the main gates."

Nodding and turning away from the man, who was currently barking more orders to Kise, Kuroko started to usher the three men on horseback towards the large stone walls concealing the entire farm inside its protection. Even though the land area of the estate was spacious and held numerous buildings and meadows within it, for centuries estates, as the one Kuroko lived in, had built walls around their farms to barricade out wild beasts and bandits. They served not only as protection but as indication of property too, claiming the soil within as their own.

Luckily the route from the main building to the main gates was direct and short. The path they walked on was lined by thickets on the right side, but on the left opened a view to rolling hills of vast meadows; the drought had drained the crops, which made it a depressing sight.

The four men travelled in tense silence, making Kuroko secretly wish their landlord would've ordered Kise to accompany him. The mere presence of the talkative blond would've taken off Kuroko's shoulders a relieving amount of pressure caused by the gazes he could almost _feel_ on his back — especially the acknowledgement of Akashi's intimidating eyes landing upon him felt slightly unsettling.

Soon the sight of a sturdy stone wall loomed into their sphere of vision, the elongated barrier standing four meters above earth's crust so it could be easily distinguished from distance. The group of four remained as silent as ever while approaching the wall, but once they reached it, the blue-haired worker's voice spoke up in his usual taciturn manner.

"We're here."

Akashi and his guards paused their steeds, patiently waiting on spot as Kuroko walked over the the gates to unlock the passage to the external world outside of the estate. Pushing the metallic gate doors open with a screech, he lingered by the doors, watching as the guests rode their horses onto the road leading away from the farm.

It was a bit wistful to see them walk out and know that these men were heading towards unknown lands, trekking through the kingdom to places where they'd be completely out of Kuroko's reach.

"Have a safe journey." He wished, mainly speaking to the nobleman who was glancing down at him atop his breathtakingly beautiful horse. The redhead gave another one of his barely-there, puzzling smiles that vaguely appeared a bit mendacious, as if the gesture was mustered solely for the politeness of it. There was no real gratitude nor appreciation to it.

"We will." The confidence is Akashi's voice was well-contained; assured enough not to falter, and smooth enough not to seem egocentric or as if he took it for granted. Their eye contact lasted for a few seconds before the nobleman averted eyes and pressed his calves to sides of his horse, encouraging her to start walking. A little before leaving, Akashi tilted his head a bit towards Kuroko's direction, heterochromatic eyes flicking at the straight-faced worker in unreadable indifference.

"Oh and also, thank you for taking care of Yukimaru." He added, words slipping off his lips in a voice audible only to the bluenette standing closest to him. Somehow his words perplexed the bluenette even further, even though he was probably supposed to feel a bit encouraged by the acknowledgement Akashi was expressing for the first time.

Somehow it felt like a statement that didn't suit the redhead. Everything about him inclined towards arrogance over anything else, and if something contradicted his usual image, it had a terribly false note to it.

"You're welcome."

Akashi motioned for his guards to follow, and within seconds Kuroko found himself watching the travellers speed up and drive their horses onto the the gravelled road snaking into distance. The bright late-morning sunlight shone its burning heat mercilessly on his back, reminding him of the arduous workload awaiting for him back at the estate. His duties were calling, so Kuroko rationalised that it'd be for the best to return as quick at possible.

xxx

xxx

However, despite the logical voice in his head that nagged at him for zoning out, returning back was definitely not the action Kuroko chose to do. Even though he didn't want to slack off from his responsibilities, the bluenette found it challenging to obey his own mind at this very moment; Akashi's departure had taken a strange effect upon his self-control.

_It just wasn't fair. _

Kuroko didn't have that kind of liberty. People who did fascinated him; they led a life so different from his, and he was dying to know what went on in the mind of a person with that strange, unobtainable thing called freedom.

It was exactly what Kuroko was frustrated over. He'd secretly wished to get to know the enigmatic redhead, the first nobleman he'd ever encountered.

With a sigh, he fiddled with the locks of the gate barricading the outside world out of his reach. His touch was lingering and absent-minded as he chained the doors closed — but in the middle of the process, the sound of a pained neigh rang through the air.

Somewhere in distance, an animal was deeply hurt.

Kuroko jerked his head up from the lowered position it'd been in, his eyes glimmering in newly born urgency. He understood without thinking; the distant shouts and sounds of clashing metal left nothing unclear. Kuroko knew that he had to hurry, but adrenaline had left his fingers unusually stiff and difficult to operate in the moment of action. With trembling hands he ripped the chains off the gates, carelessly allowing them to drop down to the ground — and then pushed the gates open and ran.

xxx

xxx

For Kuroko's unmeasurable relief, Akashi and his lifeguards hadn't gotten too far from the estate; they'd taken the gravelled road to north, and their trail was easy to distinguish in the dirt. It made tracing their tracks far easier for the bluenette, who was beginning to fear for the worst as he raced down the road, begging inside his mind.

He was sweaty and out-of-breath to start with, but the shock that hit him unexpectedly from behind the corner nearly made him choke; crimson wasn't anymore only apparent in Akashi's fiery locks.

He'd arrived just on time to witness the gory demise of Akashi's bodyguard, whose limp ruins still lay atop of his horse — from a little protected crack in the amour, a sword had pierced through his torso while the guard had still been mounted. Even though the man had died nearly immediately, the panicking steed beneath was still in full health, neighing and rearing in terror.

The remaining guard was currently protecting Akashi with all his might.

Automatically, Kuroko's fingers slipped to the knife sheath dangling from his belt; it was common for everyone on the countryside to carry a weapon with them at all times — and he'd never before been so thankful of it. Pulling it out of its case, the bluenette acted rapidly — and unexpectedly, he was on the run and heading towards the assassinate whose back was turned to him.

It took him no more than a few seconds to reach the closest assassinate, and to sink his blade into the back of his neck. An unpleasant sound of crunching bones and tearing flesh emitted, but adrenaline left Kuroko unable to be bothered; as he pulled the knife out and dropped his victim to the ground, his eyes were already searching for the next vulnerable neck.

But instead he reached the gaze of Akashi, still settled in his saddle and trying his best to keep his horse calm. The redhead had also unsheathed his sword, which steel was already spotted with red, but he looked peculiarly controlled for the situation — almost as if he'd already known that someone was after him. His oddly coloured eyes locked for a moment with Kuroko's icy blue, but turned right away as yet another assassinate leaped forwards.

At that moment, something snapped inside the delicate skull of the pearly arabian horse.

It's fearful eyes rolled in their sockets like dice, paranoid and desperately searching for a way away from what she saw as predators — and with no route for escape, she suddenly plunged upright on her back feet. Akashi, who hadn't prepared for the sudden jerking movement, crashed back-ahead to the dirt behind the mare's form — the back of his scalp slamming hard to the ground.

For a moment it felt like Kuroko's feet were glued to the ground, but soon he found himself darting towards the nobleman.

Akashi's bodyguard was still fighting against the last few assassinates, buying Kuroko some time to check the redhead's condition. He kneeled down besides the male's unconscious body, his fingers hesitant as they pressed against Akashi's neck in the search of a pulse, but he felt nothing at first. After a few seconds spent holding his breath, the bluenette could feel the faith thump of Akashi's heart against his skin — and a flood of relief whelmed over him.

Just then Kuroko became aware that amidst his fright he hadn't noticed that his surroundings had gone oddly silent. He lifted his head to see what had happened; the bodyguard had silenced the last assassinate, and was now panting in exhaustion. The sight was pitiful; his face was scrunched up in an attempt to stop himself from screaming, and his hands were currently working to take down his armour.

The pastel-haired male blinked. "W-what are you doing?"

There was a sound of metal clanging onto the ground, but no reply. The moment his armour came off, Kuroko could see what was causing him such pain: just like what had happened to the first bodyguard, the assassinates can precisely located a little-protected crack in the armour, and struck that part with a sword. The guard winced in repulsion as he covered his wound with a hand, trying to stanch the flow of blood.

Kuroko's mouth felt dry and wordless. It seemed highly unlikely that the assassinates would have known spot-on where to strike, unless they were already familiar with the guard's armour… Thinking feverishly, he tucked a hand behind Akashi's upper back, slightly propping up the drooping nobleman. They had to return to the estate, now.

"My landlady can stitch your wounds, but we have to hurry."

The guard flinched at his voice, but didn't turn his way — his shoulders shook as he kept on adding pressure to his wound. It took him a moment to reply, but when he did, his voice was nearly cracking from holding back tears. "Is Akashi-san still alive?"

"He is for now." The bluenette reassured, his grip around the redhead's limp body tightening in concealed fear. "Please, Sir, try to hold on. I will take you both back to the estate, and my landlord will surely welcome you to stay with us for a while—"

"We can't!" The guard snapped unexpectedly for Kuroko's great surprise: suddenly the broad-shouldered male had painfully forced himself to face Kuroko; his tear-filled eyes gleaming in such desperation and fury that for a moment he looked like a wolf seconds away from being struck by the bullet of a hunter's gun.

"It's extremely important that we get Akashi-san quickly away from here, there is no time to waste! Do you understand what's going to happen to me once they find out that I've failed my mission, that I've let something like this interfere—"

And there, after spilling out those heavy words, the grown man in front of Kuroko seemed to lose himself and surrender to the tears stinging in his eyes. Ashamed, he reverted eye contact and turned harshly away, but his shoulders still shook from the silent sobs that wrenched his whole body.

Kuroko was left utterly dumbfounded, the widened look in his eyes much like that of a mistreated child. He knelt there holding Akashi's unconscious body, clutching the closest epitome of supremacy that he had ever witnessed, and felt the desperate need to usher him into safety. Momoi's earlier words from that morning rung inside his head, suddenly clear and apprehensible.

_'__He looked bothered by something.'_

Kuroko didn't know who he was or what kind of terrors he was running away from, but what he did know was that Akashi wasn't going to die, not on his watch.

"I'm very sorry." His voice sounded genuinely apologetic. "We'll find a way. Now lets at the very least take Akashi-san back to the estate."

The guard grunted something vague in response, stubbornly refusing to look Kuroko in the eye. Just when the bluenette had been about to lay Akashi down and go fetch the arabian horse that had trotted a few meters away, the nobleman's closed eyelids fluttered weakly as if he had been trying to fight them open through the lethargy.

Kuroko froze. "Sir?"

He could hear the bodyguard shift his weight anxiously, but he wasn't sure which thought frightened the guard more: if Akashi would never wake up, or what would follow if he did. Despite usually being quite watchful over his surroundings, the bluenette now allowed everything else to fall into a void of meaninglessness, that including the short-tempered bodyguard and whatever was going to happen to him now. A devilish little voice inside his head, probably a sense of reality, nagged at the back of his mind that the guard's wounds were quite severe, and even the landlady's medical skills couldn't possibly save him.

He didn't wish to see the death of anyone, but however, Kuroko was currently more absorbed in the present events: Akashi had finally fought open those curiously mismatched eyes.

They were half-lidded and unfocused, yet still even in their hazy state succeeding to make the bluenette's stomach churn. At a steady rate, they seemed to gain awareness, going from dimly lit to bright and heedful in a matter of seconds. Whatever adrenaline that had given Kuroko the courage to hold the aristocrat was suddenly gone, seeping out of him faster than lightning, and leaving him empty of confidence.

"Where's Yukimaru?" was the first thing that escaped Akashi's mouth, the nobleman shaking off Kuroko's touch and laboriously propping himself into a sitting-position.

The bluenette, flustered, was quick to let the redhead go. "I'll get her."

The next following minutes felt awkward; as Kuroko fetched the arabian horse standing a few feet away, he could hear the bodyguard apologising repeatedly for the incident. Akashi didn't appear to be angry though, since he calmly shrugged off the apologies and staggered to his feet — though his arrogance was still apparent as he slapped off the guard's hand as the servant tried to help him. Kuroko hurried over with the white mare walking briskly beside him, her audits perked up towards her owner.

"Thank you." Akashi said flatly, not even bothering to make eye contact as he took the reins. "So, servan—", the end of the word never uttered out, their eyes having met — it was icy blue against fiery red again.

Akashi frowned softly. "What is your name?"

Kuroko's heart fluttered, but his voice was steady and unaffected. "Kuroko Tetsuya, Sir."

"Alright, Kuroko." The redhead started again, his voice having a degree of thoughtfulness this time. "When we arrive back at the estate, tell your coworkers to come and bury these dead bodies. Tell them that it was a direct order from me."

The bluenette blinked in confusion. "Don't worry, Sir. I can take care of that myself."

"No." Akashi's voice was back to a strict authoritarian tone. "I want you to come with me. Now, help my guard back on his horse — we must hurry."

xxx

xxx

Sure, Kuroko had felt a little out of place at times before, but never had he felt so _unbearably_ alienated from his surroundings as he did now, sitting in the warm living room of the main building. It was too relaxed, too clean, too good for Kuroko. The windows were opened wide, bathing the room in daylight — Kuroko would rather stare outside and listen to the cackling of chickens, pretending that he wasn't there to begin with.

But today wasn't the day he could just pretend not to be there… Today his usual lack of presence didn't seem to take effect.

After he had returned back to the estate with Akashi and the injured bodyguard, Kuroko had felt everyone's eyes on him. He had seen Kagami eye at him suspiciously, and the envy in Kise's eyes as the bluenette was led into the main building. Even the landlord whom usually neglected him, even his stare drilled into Kuroko's back as he held the door open for the bluenette obediently following Akashi into the house.

He didn't _want_ to be here — a commoner like him would only stain a good house with an undeserving presence. But he had seen fire in Akashi's eyes, and it enticed him forwards like a moth to a flame. He didn't want to be here, but he didn't want to defy the aristocrat's orders either.

A couple of times, Kuroko had nervously darted his eyes between the people who sat at the table with him, watching their stoic faces as Akashi explained what had happened outside the walls. The landlord and his wife didn't seem angry with Kuroko, but neither did they praise him for his quick call for action — they simply ignored him.

His eyes slowly drifted back to the window.

"…I was aware from the start that something like this _could_ happen, but it was important not to attract much attention. So that is why I just brought only two guards along with me. Now, with one of them dead and the other one severely injured, I'm left with no other choice…"

Kuroko could feel Akashi give him a lingering side-glance.

"…but to request that you'd allow me to take Kuroko as my temporary escort."

His words were greeted by a stunned silence. Kuroko tore his gaze off the window and glanced at Akashi with widened eyes — of course he had thought it to be a little suspicious that Akashi had insisted that he joined them inside… but he had merely expected that he would have to submit to the landlord's interrogation.

The landlord sputtered, his ruddy face scrunching up in an effort to understand the oddness of Akashi's way of thinking. "But, Akashi-san! Don't get me wrong, I'd be pleased to let my men escort you on your journey… But Kuroko's not the one to do it. Look at him—", the man threw an exaggerated hand towards the bluenette's direction. "—thin and meek, hardly even noticeable."

"Maybe Kagami…" The landlady, a plump woman with her hair tied in a tight bun, turned to her husband.

"Yes! Kagami is our newest recruit, a very promising young man…"

Akashi disrupted him with no qualms, lifting a palm in a wordless plea for silence. "Meekness is exactly what I'm looking for."

Another silence. When nobody made a move to inquire about his reasoning, the redhead filled the pause himself. "I said I didn't want to draw attention. Today's attack proves that I'm too easily recognised and tracked, so I need to disguise myself better. Kuroko would be the ideal bodyguard for such a task; he's unnoticeable and blends to the background, yet still knows how to make a neat kill."

The landlord stared at Akashi for a good five seconds, propping his elbows on the table and crossing his fingers. For a second Kuroko feared that he'd still insist on making Kagami the aristocrat's escort… but as the man sighed defeatedly, Kuroko remembered that his landlord had never particularly shown any strength to defy someone in higher power than him.

"Well… I'm not sure about this, losing a worker does have its effects on the estate…" There it was again — the slimy landlord Kuroko was used to dealing with.

"Money's not a problem."

"Ahh, very well then. When will you be departing?"

"As soon as possible, preferably before noon."

_Before noon_. The sun had already crept so high above the horizon that it must have merely been an hour until noon. Kuroko could feel his stomach churn in desperation to escape the tedious life he led, but simultaneously he sensed his heart crush under something that felt like a myriad of stone.

_Kise_.

He would have to leave his childhood friend, that one person with whom he had grown up and lived his whole life next to. Memories began to flood his mind; of their boisterous childhood dreams of becoming knights; of the merciless discrimination they had experienced together; of that day when the two had left their families to travel together in the hopes of finding a better life.

Whatever had happened to Kuroko, whatever storm had rattled his life — it had all happened next to that optimistic, bubbly blond.

He was dredged from his reverie as his landlord had turned to address him personally. "You, go pack your belongings. You mustn't make Akashi-san wait."

Kuroko blinked, a dead glaze in his already vacant eyes. But before he had had the chance to stumble up and say "Yes Sir", the redheaded nobleman had surged in to contradict. Kuroko was beginning to get a sneaking suspicion that he didn't like others giving orders on his behalf.

"Actually, I was hoping that you could give me a minute alone with him. It'll be quick."

Kuroko had known his landlord long enough to be able to tell when he was greatly angered, even beneath a forcedly-smiling, outwardly-calm exterior. The man stood up and while he was walking out of the room alongside his wife, he casted a long resentful look on Kuroko from the corner of his eyes — and then, just like that, they were both gone.

Now that left Kuroko alone with Akashi, and although the bluenette's eyes fell meekly to the table, he could still feel Akashi's presence beside him — it would have been hard not to. The two hadn't had an interaction yet where Kuroko would have felt at ease — for some reason, his shoulders were constantly tensed around the nobleman. He was _arrogant_, he was _unapproachable_, he was the kind of person to use the people beneath him as doormats… But Kuroko couldn't help but to feel like that was just his outer shell.

When Akashi's voice spoke up and shook the teal-haired male out of his thoughts, he was thankful that minds couldn't be read.

"I must ask… How old are you?"

Kuroko shifted in his seat, his body-language turning slightly more towards the nobleman. He could now see that Akashi was absent-mindedly staring at the table, resting his arms on the table and clasping his wooden cup (they had those around here. It was rumoured that in the city they had silver cups, but Kuroko wasn't sure what to believe).

"Nineteen, Sir."

"Hm." His voice turned strict. "Well, from this day onwards you'll be working for me. I have high expectations of you; I saw how you killed that man today. It'll be your job to protect my life — you'll kill all those that threaten me, you'll help me escape in case of another attack, and you'll even taste my food in case it's poisoned."

He turned to face Kuroko; the mismatch of his eyes stood out brighter when he was facing the sunlight beaming from the window. "Above all else, I strictly expect unconditional obedience. My orders are absolute, and you won't defy a single thing I demand, is that clear?"

"Absolutely, Sir."

"Good." Akashi seemed pleased; his eyes gleamed as if he would've taken a liking to Kuroko's submissiveness. "Now, listen carefully. There are people after me, people who'll do everything in their power to have me dead. I want you to remember this…", the redhead suddenly leaned a bit closer, his voice diving dangerously low.

"I'll reward you greatly if… _when_ we reach our destination. No matter what you're promised for betraying me, remember that I can always top the offer."

It caught Kuroko off guard, as he hadn't expected a reward for his service. After all, the bluenette had just practically been sold like a slave by his landlord; he had helplessly watched as others decided upon his fate, as his life was traded for lifeless coins. But then again, Kuroko had to remind himself, he had chosen a life of servitude over a life of crime.

"I won't betray you, Sir." Suddenly words just spilt out of Kuroko, unfiltered and unthought of. "You don't have to make promises, or threats, or anything else to keep me on your side… I _am_ loyal. I stick around until the end."

Although Kuroko half-expected Akashi to look down upon his unleash of words, the nobleman didn't even flinch. He stared at Kuroko with unaffected eyes, his expression not leaking any information through.

But then, he spoke. "Looks like I chose well when I picked you. Now, do you have any questions?"

_Yes_. For a while now Kuroko's head has been bustling with a million questions: _Could Kise come along? He would be taking the dead bodyguard's horse, right? Where were they going? Would he ever return back? _**_Why were there assassinates after Akashi?_**

"Ah, well… Where are we headed?" It seemed like the only question that didn't make him look either weak or nosy, and Kuroko felt like displaying either wouldn't be a very good idea.

Akashi pushed his chair backwards as he spoke, standing up — he clearly saw the conversation as practically over. "Up north. Your job is over once you escort me safely to the borders of the country. And although to you it might not seem like the most logical approach, we'll be taking the long route, the one through Shutoku, Too, Yosen, and Seirin."

At that, two pastel brows lifted in puzzlement. Shutoku, Too, Yosen and Seirin were districts of the country they lived in, Teiko - -Kuroko knew as much. But the route through those wasn't the directest nor fastest way to the borders; if anything, it was the slowest. However, Kuroko guessed that they were taking the complicated route just so tracking Akashi would be difficult.

"I'm from Seirin, originally." Kuroko smiled timidly, making the first move to take the conversation away from strict business. "From another estate — the largest one."

Akashi gazed down at Kuroko, facial features completely devoid of emotion, all apart from a rigid smile that the nobleman forced upon his lips. For a moment he looked like he would have wanted to say something, but his mouth stayed sealed and his eyes answerless. Kuroko's eyes were fixated upon the smile; although the gesture was more icy than kind, it made his heart hammer against his ribcage — twisting his insides.

"I'll prepare the horses, Sir." Kuroko continued quickly, staggering up as well. Akashi's stern gaze followed his movements silently, his head making a short nodding movement as the bluenette spoke; Kuroko just pretended not to be bothered.

"Good. You'll be taking the deceased guard's horse… I will see you in an hour in front of this building."

"Alright." Kuroko said, and as he made eye contact with mismatched eyes again, he was suddenly overwhelmingly sure that under Akashi's callous surface his an alive, beating heart. As that feeling flooded Kuroko, he remembered that Kise would have probably murdered him, if he only had known that Kuroko was beginning to sympathise with a blue-blood.

Akashi seemed nonchalantly arrogant as always; he was the first the break the eye contact, turning away with no polite goodbyes, and left the room just like that.

As the door swung closed and an unsettling silence enveloped the room, leaving the bluenette all alone with his thoughts and feelings, a hand fumbled to his chest to grasp his shirt. He could feel his heartbeats even through the dirty fabric.

'_It was weird how hearts were such wild creatures_', Kuroko had thought only a day ago. But he had been wrong… Hearts were wild beasts, and his had just broken free from his own control.

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A/N: Your reviews are what keep me writing. If you have any feedback to give me, I appreciate it more than you might realise!


	3. Left or right

A/N: I'm back again! I'm on spring break at the moment, so hopefully I can get the fourth chapter to you asap.

Also, from now on I'll be doing quick summaries at the start of each chapter. This is because I don't have a regular update schedule, so if my old readers aren't sure what happened in the previous chapters, they had refresh their memories by reading the summary.

**So far in the story:**

Kuroko, a servant who lives in the highly hierarchical country of Teiko, is delighted by the fact that the drought has finally come to an end. The storm that strikes that night forces a strange nobleman to seek shelter at the estate for the night — a man by the name of Akashi, with whom Kuroko finds himself to be deeply fascinated by. Unfortunately the next day they have to bid farewell, but a group of assassinates attack Akashi soon after he has resumed his journey. After witnessing Kuroko's lack of presence and his sharp instincts in action, Akashi requests from the landlord that he could take Kuroko as his new escort. Preparations are made, and Kuroko is given exactly an hour to get ready — and to break the news to his childhood best friend, Kise.

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Chapter 3 - Left or Right

The estate was at its liveliest at this time of the day. There were people, animals, and insects everywhere; _everybody seemed to have found their place_, Kuroko thought, making his way to the stables.

From the bees that buzzed in the nearby dandelions to the children playing tag in the garden, everybody had assumed a position in the balance of the day. Even Kagami, who was new to the farm, seemed to fit perfectly into the estate's life — the redhead was currently pushing a heavily loaded wheelbarrow across the yard, and he made it look so effortless that it was hard to believe that he was a newcomer.

And then of course, there was Kuroko, who wasn't sure anymore where is place in the world was. Everything he had possessed in the past — his best friend, his job, his home in the attic, his life at the estate — it had all been stuffed into an hourglass. A cold, unbreakable hourglass that counted his last 60 minutes at the estate.

He was no longer a farm worker, but a bodyguard. He was no longer tied to a single place, but destined to travel.

Kuroko wasn't sure if he'd ever had a place in the world to begin with.

A flock of chickens had gathered on the main road, cackling and hustling away from Kuroko's path as the bluenette approached. Even with the beaming sunlight and tweeting birds and the scent of rain from last night, he felt depressed. How on earth was he going to break the news to Kise?

He walked in silence until he had reached the stables; his footsteps clearly turned more and more hesitant the closer he came. The weather-worn building towered menacingly over him, and all of a sudden Kuroko realised that all the happy memories it contained had been switched to lament… The bluenette stood for a moment silently on the wide open doorway into the stables, eyes pressing shut like those of a desperately praying man, lungs sucking in a shaky breath—

"—Kise-kun", he called out into the building. There was an immediate reaction: from one of the furthest stalls at the back of the stables, a blond head shot up in surprise and enthusiasm… and upon seeing him, Kise quickly bolted over like a hyper golden retriever, leaving the mucking of the stall half-finished.

"Kurokocchi!" He enthused, immediately taking a hold of the bluenette's shoulders and shaking him. "Now you're going to tell me everything! What the hell happened? Did _you_ kill those guys out there? Kagami and I had to go bury the bodies and it was disgusting, but at the same time really interesting—"

The blissful obliviousness of his friend hit him harder than he had expected. Kuroko stared up at the blond: he had such a friendly face, and even friendlier eyes, and the thought of shattering Kise's good spirits really, _really_ hurt. Kuroko wanted to answer right away, but words got stuck in his throat; his lips parted, but nothing ever came out.

Kise gazed down at Kuroko expectantly, his golden eyes wide and awaiting. But when Kuroko didn't reply nor did he stir in the slightest response, his smile fell a bit — he looked slightly confused for a second, before fearful intuition finally settled in.

"Oi, Kurokocchi." He forced a laugh, but there was no hiding of the anxiousness in his voice. "Nothing bad happened, right? You're alright, aren't you, Kurokocchi?"

Kise's fingers curled into the bluenette's shoulders, and he could feel the slight tremor within the touch — it was the same fear that rasped in Kise's breath, the same fear that swarmed in his eyes. Kuroko found it difficult to face him in a such a state. _I've betrayed him_, the bluenette could only think.

"I'm alright." He started, mumbling at first, but then his voice gained steadiness and he began to talk. "But I'm not going to stay here for much longer. Akashi-san offered me a job, and I accepted it — I really had to. I'm going to be his new escort."

"W-wait."

Like a child that didn't quite understand what was going on, Kise tilted his head. He wore a wonky, puzzled smile on his lips, but that smile was paired with eyes that looked like they were going to well with tears at any moment. Within that beautiful blend of gold, Kise's eyes looked pleading: he was silently, wholeheartedly praying that Kuroko didn't mean what he thought he was meaning.

Carefully, Kise allowed his hold of Kuroko's shoulders loosen, and his arms fell limp against his sides.

"So… you're leaving without me?"

Kuroko wanted to run away, he wanted to avert eyes. But something about breaking your best friend's heart leaves you helplessly stuck staring at the mess you've made; it not a sight you can easily turn a blind eye to. Kuroko's breath hitched, the tremor shaking him down to the very last branches of his lungs.

"Yes."

And that shattering word broke the camel's back; perhaps Kise had still thought that the two of them, having spent all their lives together, would still continue along the same path from this crossroad. The blond who had moments ago been tongue-tied and misbelieving, was now bursting into life — loudly.

"No! You couldn't possibly think—", his voice was shrill and hurt. "—that I'd just let you run off with that disgusting, spoiled, _arrogant_ prick—"

"Kise!" For the first time in ages, Kuroko raised his voice to an astounded yelp. His usually blank and vacant eyes now casted a bewildered look upon his friend, who stared right back in defiance, absolutely adamant not to back down. It was hard for him to remember that these were his last 60 minutes on the estate, when his best friend was attacking him head-on for a situation that was out of his control.

"This isn't the end, Kise-kun." He explained hurriedly, fighting back his characteristically steady tone. "I won't be gone forever. Trust me, I would have asked if you could come along, but it's not possible. Akashi-san wants me to be his bodyguard because of my lack of presence — he says that he needs to disguise himself better, so he needs an escort that doesn't draw attention…"

But Kise didn't even listen.

"I don't care about your Akashi, I just need you here! Don't you idiot know that you're all that I have?!" The blond shouted, and this time his voice cracked as if he was about to burst into tears. The moment those words had left his mouth, some kind of realisation seemed to dawn upon his face, and the _overwhelm_, and _shock_, and _anguish_ finally broke him. Kuroko watched helplessly as his best friend fell apart, burying his face in his hands to hide the tears that he could no longer manage.

All this, _Akashi, departure, his new job_, it was all so much harder and less appealing as his best friend wept in front of him. Kuroko felt sick.

"Kise-kun…"

The blond sniffed, and Kuroko could tell by his sheepish body language that he felt embarrassed. Kise shook his head as if to regain his self-control, and gulped. "Aaah, I'm so sorry, Kurokocchi, I don't mean to hurt you… I- I know that it's not your fault…" He tried scrubbing his tears away with the back of his hand, but the dirt on his hands just rubbed off on his cheeks. "But you still could have considered bringing me with you."

"I already told you."

"You're too proper, Kurokocchi." Kise gave a tearful laugh. "It isn't something Akashi _needs _to know about…"

At that, something sharpened in the depths of two icy orbs. Kise, busy wiping his tear-stained hands on his trousers, didn't seem to notice, not until he had lifted his gaze back up and caught the bluenette's eye. For a moment he looked slightly confused, but then realisation poured into him, and he made a disapproving click with his tongue.

"Okay, okay, I know you don't like foul play. But this isn't!" His still-teary eyes blinked at Kuroko pleadingly. "I'll follow you two. I'm guessing that you won't stray off the main roads? Just tell me where you're headed, and I'll come along, just trailing some distance behind. When you stop by at an inn or an estate, you can… You can mark the place somehow?"

Kuroko opened his mouth to object, but Kise spoke over him. "I know! Remember the red handkerchief?"

_Oh, he wouldn't._

The very mention of the red handkerchief sent Kuroko's mind plummeting two years into the past.

_It had been the day of their departure — a very hot, dry summer day — and Kuroko remembered having stood there on the road, waiting, watching as Kise said his final goodbyes to his family. Secretly inside, he felt a pang of jealousy as he watched the blond pull his parents into a bone-crunching hug, half-laughing, half-crying; happy to go out there and experience the world, but sad to part ways with the people who had raised him. _

_Kuroko's own parents had reacted quite mildly to the news. They had said that they respected his decision, and that they wished him luck, and that a life of servitude was tough, so Kuroko better have known what he was getting himself into. He had only nodded along to their words, eyes empty and heart even emptier, and then embraced them both briefly, whispering his thank you's and I love you's before letting go of them — and of the life here among the bandits, and of all the dishonesty and violence that he so hated._

_Kuroko's parents had been servants at the largest estate in Seirin, but a lifetime of unfair treatment had left them cold. Fleeing their fate at the bottom of the food chain, they had quit their jobs and joined a group of bandits here in Kaijo. Kuroko had been only seven at the time, so he hadn't experienced back-breaking labour just yet. He knew that his parents probably thought that he just didn't understand what servitude was like; maybe they expected him to come running back home after a few weeks, unable to live under such treatment._

_Some estates treated servants very poorly — like slaves. They were beaten. They were starved. They weren't let out. _

_But Kuroko knew that there were some landlords out there that didn't treat their workers as badly. "People aren't inherently evil", he always told his parents, "We're just blind. Blind to a lot of things. But deep down, we are good."_

_They never believed him._

_It had even taken months of convincing and pleading looks to talk Kise into this. The blond wasn't really the type to submit to authority. Neither was he the type that was particularly bothered by crime — if anything, he might have even enjoyed the lifestyle a bit. But Kuroko and Kise had been best friends for years now, and they had sworn to remain together against all odds._

_Kuroko waited, watching as Kise said his final goodbyes to his family. His mother, a beautiful woman with golden hair that flowed past her shoulders, pulled away from the embrace, tears openly streaming down her cheeks. Kuroko could see her smile tearfully and speak to her son; he was too far to hear her words, but he could hear the love and tenderness of her voice, and it was a sad, sad thing. The woman took Kise's hands in her own and placed a simple red handkerchief in them, never stopping to smile._

_When the exchange was over, Kise hurried back to Kuroko, the sack that contained all his belongings flung over his shoulder. He seemed a bit fidgety and agitated, judging by his flushed face and quick movements, but he sheepishly grinned at Kuroko the moment they made eye contact, as if to signal that he was ready to get going._

_"__What did she give you?" Kuroko asked, eyes on the streak of red cloth that peered out of Kise's enclosed fist._

_"__Ah, it's her handkerchief." Kise replied softly, smiling as he looked down on the red cloth. "She said that she wanted to give me something to remember her by, but you know, she doesn't really have much… I think it's nice though. It smells like her." _

_Kuroko nodded, and turned to look at the road ahead of them. For a moment he just stood there silent, gazing into an unguessable future that lurked for them somewhere at the end of this road. _

_"__Ready to go, Kise-kun?" He said finally, almost tenderly; feeling that unguessable future tug him closer into the unknown._

_"__Yeah." He could hear the blond laugh. "Lets go."_

It had now been two years since they had left, and after a dozen failed attempts to get work, the two had finally landed a job here. This estate was smaller than the one Kuroko had been born into, but a small size had its perks — landlords of small estates tended not to treat their workers as cruelly as the bigger ones. Kise, for whom this was the first estate, didn't quite realize that — hence why he was always making snarky comments behind their landlord's back and criticising him in every possible way. But despite his flaws, the blond had loyally stayed right beside Kuroko just because he knew that _if he left_, it would break his blue-headed friend's heart.

That might have also been why Kise had gotten so upset over the news. He had put up with a lifestyle that chained and smothered him; all for his best friend, and all only to get left alone in the end.

"What about the handkerchief?" Kuroko asked, a degree of distress creeping into his steady tone. Oh god, he didn't want this. No, no, no, no, no.

With every passing moment, the fire in Kise's eyes only seemed to fuel. It was funny how quickly could a man go from hopelessness to a state of passion where everything felt as if it was within reach; but, Kuroko got a sense that it was denial that fueled Kise's enthusiasm. The idea was ridiculous. If Kise followed them, he would starve, he would die out in the cold, he would get lost, he would be torn apart by wolves, he would be robbed of everything he owned by faceless strangers.

He would collapse to the side of the road, stripped and starved and sweaty and stained, and he would have no will to ever rise up to his feet again.

Kise's eyes were drying from the tears now. He laughed. "Don't worry, Kurokocchi! I will cut it in strips, and you can tie a shred around a tree branch, or a rock, or whatever, to signal that you've stopped there for the night. I will arrive an hour or two later, see it, and stop as well! I'll collect the handkerchief back piece by piece."

"This is a terrible idea. Akashi-san will recognise you—"

"You idiot. I'll hide in the forest or something. I wouldn't let him see me—"

"Kise-kun, please listen to reason. You can't let your emotions take over like this. There are so many things that could go wrong. You might not see the mark, and you could get lost. You would fall far behind because I'm going to be on horseback and you're going to be on foot." He paused for a second before mumbling: "And if Akashi-san finds out, I don't know what he would do to me."

For a second Kise held a weird, pitying look in his eyes. "Of course I don't want you to get in trouble…" He began, speaking very gently at first, but that considerateness dried out as he went on; too much of a daredevil to place any real thought on the consequences. "But you really can't stop me though. If you refuse to collaborate, that's fine — I'll find another way, that I can _promise_."

There was a kind of surreality to the air they breathed, or at least that's what it felt like to Kuroko, whose rib cage felt like it had suddenly gotten a couple of sizes tighter around his heart. Breathing was difficult, talking was difficult — hell, even thinking was difficult, although it was usually something Kuroko was able to do no matter how bad the situation was. Kuroko allowed his head to droop low, and his pastel fringe fell over his eyes.

"Fine…" It was a defeated whisper: perhaps some were born to die young. "I'll help, but… Kise-kun… Why are you doing this?"

It took a few seconds for his words to sink into Kise. Kuroko knew that because there was a brief pause during which neither of them moved nor spoke, but soon that stunned silence was over, and Kise had leapt forwards to embrace the thin bluenette.

"Because you are my best friend, Kurokocchi." He murmured into the crook of Kuroko's neck — in his relief and gratefulness he had lifted the bluenette off his feet, forcing Kuroko to grip Kise's shoulders to secure himself in the hold. "And nothing in this cruel world can do best friends apart."

Kuroko left the stables that day with a head full of haze and jumbled plans for the future; a future that looked grimmer and unfriendlier with every step he took towards the main building where Akashi waited.

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Kuroko had taken a quick bath in one of the small ponds at the estate, then rushed back to the stables with still-wet hair, and stuffed everything he owned into a sack (which was actually meant for potatoes).

He was well aware of the fact that his clothes would now on smell like soil and dirt, _but maybe_, he thought while tying the contraption onto the saddle of his horse, _that earthly smell would always be a reminder of the life here at the estate._ Kise leaned his back on the wall of the stall while Kuroko fiddled with the ropes, making sure that the sack was securely tied, and he prattled in his usual manner, although this time it felt like he was doing it just to fake his happiness.

As Kuroko finished his job and took the reins to lead the horse outside, a sense of finality flooded into him.

"…so I'm definitely going to ask Momoi to sneak some food for me before I go — oh, wait, you're done now?"

Kuroko nodded shortly, eyes still fixated on his horse. Like Yukimaru, it was calm and well-behaved when grooming, but it wasn't an arabian horse — it didn't have the same slender build, nor the same elegantly arched neck, nor the same silky quality to its hair. It was breathtakingly beautiful, with its powerful physique and defined muscles, but Kuroko somehow felt a stronger connection with the refined arab in the other stall.

"Yes. Could you get Yukimaru?"

"Yuki— oh. Sure, of course." The blond seemed downcast as he moved past Kuroko to slip onto the hallway.

They walked the horses outside the stables and onto the gravelled main road. The sun was now high up in the sky, its scorching rays of heat attacking them immediately after they had stepped out of the shade. Albeit a little uncomfortable, Kuroko found their walk to the main building surprisingly leisurely — the horses chortled lazily and swished their tails across their hind legs to swat off flies; bees buzzed in the wild flowers that lined the main road; and the cows were grazing on the meadow to their right… The grass was a bit yellow and wilted after the drought that had lasted all summer, but that didn't ruin the overall quiet, serene atmosphere.

On their way, a familiar figure came trailing down the road — a redhead with broad shoulders and curiously divided eyebrows. Kise gave him a lazy, casual wave of his hand (as the experience of burying bodies together had apparently faded their earlier resentments for each other), but Kagami's attention was on Kuroko. He approached with the kind of body language that let on that he was intending to speak with him.

"Uhh… Hi. Kuroko, was it?"

The three all paused on the road; Kuroko looked up at the much taller male with a very neutral expression on his features, and nodded.

"Why yes, yes it is. And I'm Kise, in case you forgot…?" Kise seemed huffy to have been ignored.

Kagami only rolled his eyes, and ignored the blond again. "I heard that you were leaving."

"Yes, I'm going to escort Akashi-san. We're on our way right now."

Kagami's gaze flickered over the two fully equipped horses, and he nodded in understanding. When he spoke, it did actually sound like he was trying to be tactful, but it clearly wasn't his strongest point: "…Don't mean to be rude or anything, but are you sure? It's just… You don't look like the type to be a bodyguard."

Kuroko gave him a soft little smile, knowing that these remarks would be something he would simply have to get used to. "I'm sure. Thank you for your concern, though."

And when Kagami gazed down at him again, something in his eyes had changed. Kuroko was unable to tell exactly what it was, but it did have a wistful, regretful, even a tad sorry touch to it. The redhead blinked once, then cleared his throat in a manner that suggested that he was awkwardly aware of the look in his eyes.

"Alright then. But you know… I have this strange feeling that we would have been good friends, if only we had ever had the time."

Kuroko smiled again; weirdly, he felt the same. It was a shame that their paths had crossed so briefly, but maybe somehow, someday, somewhere… they would meet again.

"Maybe so."

They stood there in mutual awkwardness for a couple of more seconds, but Kise's patience was quick to run out, and he let out an implying "soooo?" which definitely was everything but subtle. Kagami hastily muttered his goodbye's and exchanged nods with Kuroko before they parted ways — Kagami continuing his way down the road, and Kuroko and Kise resuming their walk towards the main building.

"Is everything alright?" Kuroko inquired as they walked, to which Kise rolled his eyes at and laughed.

The only reply he got was an amused, "You know, I really hate his eyebrows."

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_It was here… the end._

Regardless of the summer heat hanging heavily in the air, Kuroko's skin was prickled by gooseflesh as he stood on the road leading away from the estate. The finality that he had felt back at the stables came back to haunt him; he knew that when the estate gates would swing closed behind him, it would be the last scene of Act I.

The small group of people — he, Akashi, the landlord, the landlady, and Momoi — they were all gathered by the main gates in an event that almost felt ceremonial. It was like setting a caged dove free, or sending your child to war, or bidding farewell to a wanderer; there was an uncanny kind of sentimentality that came with not knowing if you'd ever see each other again.

Akashi called out to him, but his voice felt oddly faraway, even though the male was mere meters away. "Go say your goodbyes, Kuroko."

He moved as if in a dream, feeling detached from reality while he hugged Kise for the last time — supposedly. The blond's grip was almost despairing, and it saddened him because it only made it seem like they _weren't_ going to ever see each other again… Which they were, right?

"See you soon." The words were murmured right by his ear. "I promise."

Kuroko felt like laughing in heartbroken relief, but all he could manage was a slight twist of his lips. Muttering something along the lines of "okay, okay", Kuroko gently pulled back, already feeling like he was delaying their departure too much. Akashi was already seated in his saddle and observing the scene that played in front of him; in his unsettling silence and unreachable detachment, it was impossible to tell what went on inside his mind.

Kuroko was a bit nervous, but not for the obvious reasons. Although he had been dealing with horses for years now, his understanding didn't extend far beyond care-taking and the reading of their body language. There was no way that he could reach Akashi's level of expertise…

The said redhead and Yukimaru — they worked together in harmony. The pearly animal conformed to every little signal its owner gave it, so attuned and compliant that from an observer's point of view it looked like they were communicating telepathically. Even now, when they weren't moving, the arabian horse had a perfect stance — its weight distributed equally on all four legs, its head uplifted, and its tail carried high.

Kuroko grabbed the reins of his horse in his hand, casting one last glance at the group of people clustered by the gates. Kise stood apart from the rest; _he was quite a good actor_, Kuroko had to note, _masking his true anticipations under a cover that appeared concerned for entirely different reasons. _The blond's jaw was tight and his knuckles white, but Kuroko was the only one able to see that the anxiousness of his eyes came from the fact that he, too, would be departing soon.

Kise was avid, but to everyone else it looked like his heart was shattered.

Next Kuroko's gaze drifted to the host family. The usual sour look was plastered across the landlord's face, but the landlady was expressionless as she comfortingly rubbed Momoi's back in circular motions — the child had buried her face in her mother's skirt and was now silently crying against it. Under other circumstances she would have never been permitted to come to the gates, but Momoi had screamed and cried and won her mother's compassion to her side. Much to Kuroko's horror, in her desperation the thoughtless child had blurted everything out to her parents, but curiously neither of them had said a word to him.

Although Kuroko had been given abundant reminders that he wasn't allowed to speak with Momoi, now that it turned out that he had disobeyed, nobody lifted a finger to punish him.

"Momoi-chan… It's time." He called out to her, so tenderly that it was if he'd feared that a tone any louder would have damaged her. Slowly, hesitantly, her sobs quieted down and she lifted her chin, turning to look at Kuroko — her pink irises no longer stood out so strikingly from the puffy redness of her eyes, but she was still a very beautiful sight, even in her disorderly state.

"T-tetsu… kun…" She whimpered, her bottom lip quivering, and all of a sudden she had ran over and plunged into his arms, her little hands enclosing around his torso as far as they could.

She could hardly speak through her sobs. "You p-promised… that we would talk again… you promised…"

Kuroko placed a hand upon her head, whispering a remorseful, "I'm so sorry", although he knew that they were just empty words echoing to deaf ears.

"You… have to t-take me with you." Puffy, glistening eyes lifted up to meet his own; Momoi was so much shorter than him that she had to tilt her head far back to be able to lock eyes. "Father t-told me that he was going to find me a husband. They're going to force me to marry… They're g-going to send me to a-another estate… I will never be happy, never, ever, ever!"

She broke down to sobs again, but Kuroko's same sorrowful expression didn't even twitch — the news was no surprise to him. He had been perfectly well aware that the daughters of landlords were sold into marriage much like Kuroko himself had been sold to Akashi… Females weren't respected enough to grant them a say in their own fate, and although it was a cruel, inhumane thing to do, _there was no running from hierarchy_.

"Shhh. Momoi-chan." Cooing to her as if she were his own child, Kuroko lowered down to his knees and pulled her into an embrace; cherishing, treasuring these last moments they could spend together. "Everything will be alright in the end. I promise that in the end, you will be happy. This world is a terrible place, but there are good people in here — you'll meet them eventually; somehow, someday, somewhere, you will."

She snivelled pitifully, arms draped around Kuroko's neck and her little chin resting upon his shoulder. When she spoke, she did so very softly, the words breathing off her lips almost as if in a sigh. "I.. I wish I could just marry you instead. If we were the same age, I'd definitely love you, Tetsu-kun."

They broke apart; Momoi smiling tearfully through her sadness, and Kuroko looking at her through the adoring eyes of the parent he would never be.

"Kuroko, we must go now."

Kuroko jolted; the sharp tone had slashed through his dream-like daze and made him suddenly all too aware of the four pairs of staring eyes. He blinked — once, twice — before giving Momoi one last smile and rising up, immediately met by the pungent stare of Akashi. For something so bright and fiery, it was weird how little those eyes actually revealed… They were like windows made out of unbreakable, darkened glass; seeing everything, but letting nothing to be seen.

"I apologise for the delay." He deadpanned, giving the redhead a quick, polite bow. He then hastened to turn to his horse — the animal seemed enormous now that he knew that he had to climb atop it, and the bluenette found himself swallowing dryly.

Curling his fingers around the pommel of the saddle, Kuroko then made the final leap into his new life as he used the stirrup to vault himself onto the seat. The horse under him was impatiently stepping on spot, chortling in agitation; its movements felt uncontrollable and powerful like the underwater currents of an ocean.

_Kuroko did not belong here._

"Thank you for everything." Akashi's voice spoke up; the redhead was now eyeing at the host family gathered by the gates. "Once my previous bodyguard is in sufficient condition to travel again, send him back to the capital. I've already paid for the expenses so that shouldn't be a problem."

The landlord, who had been following the situation closely, lifted his eyes to meet Akashi's, and twisted his lips into a smarmy smile. "No, it is not." He said slowly. "I wish you a good journey."

"Thank you."

His tone and words were at conflict again: absolutely no speck of gratefulness was anywhere visible on Akashi's condescending features. He turned coldly away, and with incredible dexterity, he had Yukimaru almost dancing her way next to Kuroko and his horse; the awed servant could only silently admire the performance. When they paused abreast, Akashi turned to look at Kuroko, attentive eyes already having noticed Kuroko's hesitance.

"Can you ride?"

It was a strange time to ask, now that they were already seated in their saddles and minutes away from departure. Kuroko offered him a sort of a lopsided smile, trying to assure him that everything was fine, but the smile was stiff and unfitted on his lips. "Passably."

Akashi's eyes skimmed over the bluenette's body — assessing his form, the position of his feet and hands, the centre of his weight, the posture of his shoulders and back — and evidently arrived to the conclusion that 'passable' wasn't good enough. The way his lips pressed together was almost chiding.

"As my escort, you must reach a certain standard. I'll teach you." Akashi boldly reached for eye contact, holding Kuroko captive in a paralysing stare. "But we'll do so later. We're already behind schedule — we must get as far as we can today. No more holdups."

"Understood."

And just like that, Kuroko found that everything had come to an end. Akashi left the conversation just as swiftly as he had stroke it up, eyes gliding back onto the road that loomed in front of them. They were so close to departure… So close, so close, so close… The horses stood with tensed muscles and erect ears, waiting; the host family watched expectantly, waiting; Kuroko could feel Kise's burning gaze on his back… waiting.

"Lets go."

_End of Act I._

At the exact same moment, both Akashi and Kuroko slammed their calfs onto the sides of their horses.

Powerful feet beneath Kuroko sprung into movement; the unprepared rider atop jerked backwards as the horse launched forward, having not expected it to be so explosive. His hands gripped the reins in an attempt to find balance and prevent himself from flying off — he could feel the horse's mouth at the other end, grinding the bits, pushing onwards, ignoring his attempts to slow down.

Thump, thump, thump — thump, thump, thump — thump, thump, thump.

There was no slowing down. The horse galloped down the road, and it was all hoofbeats, and wind, and nausea, and overwhelm, and blurring backgrounds for Kuroko. He was having trouble staying in the saddle. Every time the horse leapt off the ground into another stride, a hollow feeling rose at the bottom of his stomach… and every time its front legs collided with the earth again, he ungracefully slammed into the saddle.

He couldn't do this, he was going to fall off, he—

"Kuroko!"

The close proximity of the voice surprised him. Even through the wind howling in his ears, Akashi's voice had the same clarity and piercing quality as it did on steady ground.

Kuroko glanced at him; the redhead was right next to him, but it wasn't such out-of-control maladroitness for him. Yukimaru wasn't running ahead of herself — her footsteps were coordinated and measured, her strides level and light-footed. She was almost like a phantom in her deadly calmness.

Akashi — if possible, emitted an aura of an even greater degree of utter, complete, _absolute_ calmness.

"Sit down in the saddle." His instructions, incredibly, were audible over the clamour of hoofbeats. "Hold him back with the reins. Be stubborn with him."

Some miracle — perhaps the adrenaline rush or his eagerness to please Akashi — gave him the strength to lock his fingers tightly around the reins and force the horse to slow down. His shoulders and arms ached, it was that hard that he had to pull. Kuroko's horse and Yukimaru now cantered side by side at a reasonable pace; the bluenette wasn't anymore nearly thrown off with each new stride which reassured and calmed him greatly. Perhaps this wasn't so bad, perhaps he could do this…

Realising that they hadn't yet made it far, the temptation to look back grew too big — and he threw a glance over his shoulder, just to see his old home once more.

And he had turned to look just in time to witness the mighty swing of the landlord's fist — and then, as if time had slowed down, pink hair whelmed and a girlish shriek pierced the air. Momoi struck the ground like a rag doll, and her father towered above her with a fist raised to strike again.

Kuroko's face went white and bloodless as realisation dawned upon him. The landlord hadn't punished him, oh no… _His blind rage showered upon his daughter._

"Don't look back, Kuroko!" Akashi yelled, determinately keeping his eyes on the road ahead, gripping his reins so tight that his knuckles went white. "Just ride!"

Kuroko jerked his head back, pale and breathless. The road veered behind a curve and the estate fell out of sight, but even over the hoofbeats and blood rushing in his ears, Kuroko could hear Momoi's screaming echo over the tree tops. It was mixed with sobs and pleads and cries for help, but Kuroko was further and further away with every passing second.

The screaming didn't stop — it was Akashi and Kuroko that rode so far that it could no longer be heard.

xxx

xxx

Day 1 was a challenge.

Kuroko couldn't get the sound of Momoi's screaming out of his head, no matter how he massaged his temples or tried to concentrate on the road ahead of him. The telltale glances that Akashi kept on making at him from the corner of his eye let on that the redhead was well aware of this, but he wasn't the talkative type — or then, perhaps, he didn't care to bother with a lowly servant.

So, not a word was uttered about the topic.

But not that a lot was uttered about anything else, either. While they had cantered down the road, they had raced in mutual, understanding silence; neither of them wanted to speak, and somehow, wordlessly, _they both knew it_.

Kaijo — which was the district they were currently in — was known for its birch trees. It didn't take long that the road dived straight into the depths of yet another birch tree forest, a lambent wildwood where rays of sunlight filtered gently through the branches. The trunks of birches had a white and smooth bark, but one that was marked with black lenticels — it was as if someone had slashed through the bark with a knife, ripping dark cuts into the otherwise ashen surface.

In other words: they had a zebra pattern. _There was no other tree like a birch_, Kuroko thought, having developed a certain fondness for them… His throat felt dry as he realised that he might never see birches again — this journey was sure to take his life.

They cantered through the forest, and something about the lightness and serenity made it all seem as they had been moving through a dream. When it was over and the horses burst out of the chasms of the wood, still in full speed, the dream-likeness ripped like a lenticel of the a birch.

_Oh what a journey waits for you._

After a while Akashi had slowed Yukimaru down to a trot, and a bit later on down to a walk. Kuroko complied. Their shared silence remained unshattered and untouched, but it blended into other sounds: the of clopping of hooves onto dirt, the chirping of grasshoppers, the hum of wind moving through the surrounding trees.

Akashi certainly wasn't the talkative type, as neither of them spoke for hours to come. They simply followed the road dedicatedly, occasionally accelerating to a trot or a gallop (which seemed to be entirely dependent on Akashi's mood swings), and at one time they stopped by at a river stream to let their horses refuel on fresh water. Akashi didn't have to tie Yukimaru to a tree as he himself had hopped down to drink, the pearly animal waiting patiently for her owner as he kneeled by the waterfront.

But god forbid Kuroko tried the same. When his horse was done drinking, and Kuroko had slid off the saddle and let go of the reins, it immediately recognised its freedom. This resulted in a brief chase during which the capricious animal danced away and a panicked bluenette jogged behind it, trying to catch grip of the reins but failing as the horse jerked its head away every time Kuroko even came close. Akashi had frozen on spot, knelt by the river front with his cupped palms dipped in the water, an unreadable expression ironed onto his face as he watched his new bodyguard's failing game of tag.

Eventually Kuroko managed to tangle his fingers into a tuft of black mane, and through that cut his steed's runaway short. His cheeks flushed; the sharp stare of Akashi's eyes landed upon his back as he walked the horse to a nearby tree and tied it by the reins onto it.

"Akira is a tricky one. You have to earn his trust." He heard Akashi speak from the waterfront, his voice having a nonchalant quality to it, but Kuroko knew not to trust it. Something as fallacious as a tone of voice was not something to count on, not when trying to guess what went on in the aristocrat's head.

Akira. Well, at least now his headache had a name.

They continued their journey soon after, again falling into that familiar silence. They passed more forests, more streams, more estates, and an occasional horse caravan or another traveller. Kaijo was a quiet area: there weren't a lot of people, and the ones that there were had securely locked themselves inside their estates.

Slowly the firmament that spread above them began to bloom in red, orange, and purple. The sun was setting, the day was ending, but their journey showed no signs of slackening. Kuroko was no stranger to hunger, but that didn't mean that he enjoyed the gnawing pain in his gut — he had last eaten back at the estate, which was six, seven hours ago? He was surprised that a nourished nobleman like Akashi wasn't particular about meal breaks, because after all, he certainly could afford to be.

It only got darker from here. The night slowly descended onto them, dimming the lights and stretching the shadows until all had fallen into its hollows. They still trailed along the same main road, but it wasn't the same path during nighttime: it's newly acquired menace was unsettling for the untravelled bluenette, as he wasn't acquainted with the night.

Akashi on the other hand waded into the darkness trustingly, a seasoned globe-trotter, already familiar with the shadows, and the ringing silence, and the treacherous paths; Akashi could see through the darkness' tricks and pass them with a smirk.

But for Kuroko, each deformed tree looked like a wild beast. Each hoot of an owl send shivers up his spine. Each crack in the forest made his heart flutter.

Thankfully Yukimaru's silvery coat was easy to distinguish. But though she gleamed through the dimness like a ghost, if she trailed too far ahead of Kuroko, the darkness would swallow her up and out of sight. After experiencing it a few unfortunate times, Kuroko had made it his goal to stick as close to Akashi and Yukimaru as possible… He followed Akashi's lead into the abyss, trusting his employer to know the way.

_This journey will do you grievous harm. _

For the past five minutes they had been walking, the main road had been lined by a tall stone wall on the left-hand-side. Kuroko recognised it as the wall of an estate, similar to the one that had girded Kuroko's previous estate, too.

Then the blaze of a night watch's fire loomed into sight. It's faint light engulfed the surroundings in a small sphere of illumination; lighting up the metallic gates and the man that sat on a rock guarding it. Kuroko and Akashi drew nearer, and the sound of approaching hoof beats caught the night guard's attention. His hand flew to the knife sheath dangling from his belt, but he didn't attack, didn't even flinch — he was simply taking safety precautions.

"Do you take visitors?" Akashi called out as they emerged from the darkness.

The night guard's shoulders relaxed. "Well 'course we do, that's why I'm here. Welcome to _The Heron Inn_, every traveller's trusted night-stay."

He had a rugged appearance — an unkempt beard and clothes that definitely could have used a wash — but at the mercy of the night, Kuroko granted him his trust immediately. The night guard stood up from his rock and began to open the gates for them, the wooden signboard reading _The Heron Inn_ swinging sadly.

Kuroko had almost forgotten about Kise — the blond must have already departed as well, and perhaps was only a couple of hours away from reaching this very same site. Oh God, how was he afraid. Doing this behind Akashi's back made him feel dirty and dishonest: if the nobleman were to find out, there was no knowing of what he'd do.

Still, Kuroko was a man of his word — be it a promise to a devil or to a saint. As Akashi guided Yukimaru through the gates and as the night guard's eyes were focused on the redhead, he pulled loose the knot that tied his sack of belongings onto the saddle. The contraption fell with a clatter; clothes, a hair comb, a tin mug, a mini lantern, and other miscellaneous items toppling out of the bag. Akira snapped at the sound and chortled in agitation, but this time Kuroko managed to keep him under control.

"I apologise. I'll clean this up and follow you as soon as possible."

Akashi had paused at the gates; his eyes flickered scornfully at the mess. "Fine. Be quick."

The night guard lit up a torch and then the two of them were off — Kuroko watched them go, watched the speck of light inch further into the distance, until all that was left was the fire's lonely rattling and Kuroko's heightened breathing.

_This journey will rain blood on you._

An owl hooted in one of the trees nearby, and the sudden reminder snapped Kuroko at once back into reality. He was out alone in the dark, unprotected; lingering was probably not in his best interest.

He was brisk in his movements: he slid off the saddle, chained the horse to a tree, jammed all the clothes and whatnot back into the sack, and then was left with the red handkerchief — tattered into long strips, tied into a neat bundle with a string. Kise's only memento of his mother lay there on the gravel, in the hands of an unintended owner, in the serve of an unaimed purpose. Kuroko picked it up tenderly, pulling a strip apart with strange care.

He tied it around a sizeable rock, and then placed it right in the middle of the road into perfect visibility.

Kuroko could feel something tug at his heart again as he gazed down the road, the same road he knew his best friend to be on… at this very moment.

"Please stay alive." He whispered. "And please… Try to understand my decision."

It had now been 24 hours since he had seen Akashi through the storm. Act II was going to unfold its opening scene soon — and Kuroko's mouth went dry from the fear of what it'd bring along.

From a cloudless, clear sky, the first raindrops fell.

xxx

xxx

A/N: Please leave a review and let me know what are your thoughts on the new turn of events. Your feedback means so much to me, thank you to all those who have shown their support. :)

I will continue soon!


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